Radiant Vermin, Bristol

You’ve got to hand it to Philip Ridley: he certainly knows how to come up with an eye-catching title. He frequently comes up with arresting, audacious plays, too, as proven by remarkable shows such as Mercury Fur and Tender Napalm. This one should be bang on the money, as it explores the current housing crisis through the eyes of a young couple, Ollie and Jill. They have managed to secure their dream home for themselves and their baby, but was it luck or something else that got it for them? Sean Michael Verey and Gemma Whelan (who was terrific in Ridley’s Dark Vanilla Jungle) play the couple in a production directed by David Mercatali, which heads to London’s Soho Theatre, 10 Mar to 12 Apr.

Tobacco Factory: Brewery Theatre, Fri to 7 Mar

LG

Beta Testing, On tour

Largely thanks to the efforts of Gandini, a company that has graced the Royal Opera House and generally pushed the form onwards, juggling in this country is now beginning to be taken seriously. So it should be: at its best it is not just a skill but an art, and a new generation of circus performers is starting to explore the possibilities with interesting results. One such company is Circus Geeks, whose show is heading on an extensive UK tour. Beta Testing is a piece that takes the form of an entertaining performance lecture embracing comedy, mind-boggling tricks and history, too.

Harajuku Girls, London

The bright neon and hidden passageways of Tokyo and the Japanese world of cosplay – a role-playing subculture often inspired by manga and anime – provide the setting for Harajuku Girls, a new play by Irish-Japanese writer Francis Turnly about friendship, fantasy and freedom. Friends Mari, Keiko and Yumi have left their schooldays behind them and are stuck with dead-end jobs, annoying parents and a stagnant economy. Driven by the cosplay seen on Tokyo’s Jingū Bashi bridge, they think their dreams can be fulfilled in Kabukichō, a rather darker and sleazier part of town where empowerment might just as easily leave them chewed up and spat out.

Finborough Theatre, SW10, Tue to 21 Mar

MC

The Harri-Parris: The Big Day, Milford Haven

The rural is seldom glimpsed in theatre, but Llinos Mai was brought up on a farm in Pembrokeshire and has been using her childhood as inspiration for comedy ever since. She made a great impression at 2013’s Edinburgh fringe, when she introduced the world to the Harri-Parris clan in her play The Leaving Do. Now the dysfunctional farming family are back for a second round in The Big Day. The Harri-Parris’ only daughter Anni returns from Manchester for a home visit, but she’s got an unexpected guest in tow. What will this new boyfriend make of her unusual family and what will they make of him? Starting in Milford Haven before a long tour of Wales, concluding in Cardiff, expect songs, madcap comedy and cake in an unashamedly popular theatre show that should qualify as a good night out for all.

Torch Theatre, Thu to 28 Feb; touring to 4 Apr

LG

Long Live The Little Knife, Glasgow

David Leddy is one of the UK’s most distinctive theatre-makers, whose work includes the gothic promenade Sub Rosa and the affecting headphones show Susurrus, made to be played in botanical gardens around the world. At first sight, Long Live The Little Knife seems like a more traditional piece designed to be played in a theatre space. But all is not quite what it seems as we are introduced to Liz and Jim, a couple of small-time con artists who decide to move into the art market. An absurd romp, this is a bamboozling and clever piece which, even as it makes us question everything we see and hear, knows that we will fall victim to its sleights of mind and willingly suspend our disbelief. Just as we all do every time we visit a theatre.

Citizens Theatre, Tue to 28 Feb

LG

Game, London

There can be no more productive playwright than Mike Bartlett. Bull and King Charles III have both just finished their London runs, and his latest drama series, five-part thriller Doctor Foster, is due to be shown on BBC1 later this year. Now there’s Game, too, which partly concerns the housing crisis, a political hot potato, especially in the capital. A couple given the chance to buy their own home find themselves with an ethical dilemma as they discover how far they’ll really go to purchase their own property. The Almeida space is being reconfigured for this, and with designer Miriam Buether on hand it promises to be visually arresting, reflecting themes of surveillance and voyeurism.